Happy Birthday To My Daughter

I can hardly believe that this little girl turns 7 this week.  Lily Rose came into our life and filled a hole that we didn't even know was there.  I suppose every new baby completes a family in a way they never even expected.  She came into this world a fighter.  Her body fought food allergies before real food ever touched her lips. Trace amounts in my milk turned her body into a battle ground.  How thankful we were to find what was hurting her and removing it from my diet so she could nurse and begin to heal.  People find out that she cannot have milk, eggs, peanuts, gluten, red dye and many corn products and they think it is a bad thing.  I am hear to tell you, it is not.  She has never had them, so she really doesn't miss them.  Our entire families diet has improved because of our introduction into life with food allergies.  She is a little girl who happens to have food allergies; they do not define her.

 Who is she?  She loves to be outside, walls truly confine her.  We do many of her school lessons outside, she retains so much more this way.  She is determined and strong willed.  She does things on her time.  She has reminded us how to look at the things we so often overlook.  She delights in finding new rocks for her collections, and new weeds for her picked flower bunches.  She prefers the weeds to the flowers, she sees a  beauty in them.  

She is the number one fan of her Daddy.  In her eyes, he hangs the moon just for her.  And isn't that the way it should be.  If you spend  any time with my husband, you would see he feels the same about her.

She loves the lake and any day spent there is a good day in her book.

She makes my eyes light up.  The funny things she says and her ability to turn any frown upside down.  If I had to narrow down my favorite things to do with Lily Rose, they would include reading to her, craft time, for sure snuggle time, but I think more than anything, it would be watching her explore this world.   She is my girl too.

She keeps her brothers on their toes.  My heart melts as I watch the bond between the three of them.

Any man who wants to come into her life will have quite the interview process.

I am pretty sure that this picture above and the one below were just taken days apart, but I know they weren't.

Lily Rose, You have made the last seven years happy ones.  You have taught me that change isn't impossible.  You have brought love, laughter, and great joy into our family.  I have so many dreams for you but my prayer is you will find God's purpose for you and fill that purpose with all your heart.  I want you to always choose to dance, and to go for it.  Never let fear keep you down.  You can do all things with God and I pray that you learn to call upon him daily.
And for the record, you will always be my sweet baby girl, even when you are celebrating your 70th. And don't you ever forget it.  I am so glad God sent you to be apart of our family.